Publisher Kodansha and creator Naoko Takeuchi announced on Friday that a new anime adaptation of Takeuchi's Sailor Moon manga is being produced. The new anime series is aimed for release next summer, and the idol group Momoiro Clover Z will perform a theme song.

Kodansha and Takeuchi made the announcement during a live event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the manga. Momoiro Clover Z sang the first Sailor Moon anime's theme song "Moonlight Densetsu" at the event via a live video feed from France, where they are guests of Japan Expo.

Update: More background information added. Although Kotono Mitsuishi and Tohru Furuya, the voices of Sailor Moon/Usagi Tsukino and Tuxedo Mask/Mamoru Chiba in the first Sailor Moon anime, were present at the live event, the event did not specify that they will reprise their roles in the new series. The event also did not specify which song Momoiro Clover Z will perform as a theme song of the new anime.

Update 2: Kodansha editor Fumio Osano confirmed that the new anime project is not a film project.

Still a bit shocked, didn't expect this to happen. Definitely awesome tho!

Let me give you some numbers:Gundam: 33 years oldTransformers: (1984)-28 years oldDragonball: (1986)-26 years oldThe Simpsons: (1987)-25 years oldYu-Yu Hakusho: (1990)-22 years oldBatman: The Animated Series: (1992)-20 years oldSailor Moon: (1992)-20 years oldNeon Genesis Evangelion: (1995)-17 years oldDetective Conan: (1996)- 16 years oldPokemon: (1996)-16 years oldYu-Gi-Oh!: (1996)-16 years oldOne Piece: (1997)-15 years oldCardcaptor Sakura: (1998)-14 years oldNaruto: (1999)-13 years oldFLCL: (1999)-13 years oldFamily Guy: (1999)-13 years oldFuturama: (1999)-13 years oldBleach: (2001)-11 years oldFullmetal Alchemist (Manga): (2001)- 11years oldInuyasha: (2002)-10 years oldFullmetal Alchemist (first anime): (2003)- 9 years oldDeath Note: (2003)- 9 years old.Notice anything in common? All these franchises are nine or more years of age, or "old", as you call them, have an immense fanbase, and have little to no signs of aging or slowing down. Now, please, word your thoughts carefully before you try to dismiss something. Though, on the other hand, I do wish Toei would decide to bring the last two seasons of the original Sailor Moon to the U.S. before going through with this new series, or at least do a simulcast of the new series.

Uzumakiclan45 wrote:Notice anything in common? All these franchises are nine or more years of age, or "old", as you call them, have an immense fanbase, and have little to no signs of aging or slowing down. Now, please, word your thoughts carefully before you try to dismiss something.

wth...I don't even want to debate about that. The list you got here is pretty useless and makes no sense to me ( i think putting animes from before and after 1995 is a bit weird, but i'm more shocked to see '90 and 2000 animes together.... because yeah 2000 anime are not old 9gits sqc is from 2002 for example and it terms of animatiom is not old at all...)

And i was just saying that, sailor moon was something good, and it should stay as it was. By adding more stuff to that franchise (and something that old) could make it worse or useless ( lol dragon ball kai ...). But it's just my opinion. But if it was a movie it would have been a different matter

Honestly? I think this has equal potential to turn out good or bad. It's hard to actually state anything beforehand. We actually will have to watch it and then say; can't take the aprioristic route. As a fan of the show I am rightfully excited and worried at the same time.

Uzumakiclan45 wrote:Though, on the other hand, I do wish Toei would decide to bring the last two seasons of the original Sailor Moon to the U.S. before going through with this new series, or at least do a simulcast of the new series.

I hope when you say seasons you're referring to the Stars series and not both Stars and SuperS, as technically, SuperS was brought to the states, just in the same bastardization that the rest of the Sailor Moon got.... (well, ok, there were uncut dvds, but still...)

Otohiko wrote:Look on the bright side - however it turns out, there will be probably be really pretty AMV footage for Moonies to use

I'm optimistic, myself.

This, SO MUCH THIS! I have so many ideas and I would like to have updated footage for that is hopefully consistent across all story lines. Nothing I hate more then seeing the quality difference between the different series. Same can be said for Ippo, I have ideas for followup stories to previous videos I've done but I don't want to go back and use source from the original when I started using the newer source....